AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Chapter Fifty-Two
Elisa didn’t get out of bed until after noon the next day. She’d moved the alarm company installation. She wanted to cry and scream, but she felt nothing. Just alone and sore. One big thumping ache.
After ignoring her doctor’s office, she finally picked up. The doctor confirmed the pills left in her bottle were the right pills. Antianxiety meds. The same ones she’d been taking for months.
The doctor grilled her about the dangers of taking other people’s medicine, which she wasn’t doing. Suggested she might have picked up Harris’s blood pressure pills until she made clear there weren’t any pills like that in the house or shouldn’t be. The whole mixed-up-meds thing stumped the doctor. That made two of them.
Moving on fumes, bumping from one destination to another, not seeing the road or remembering how she got there, she arrived at Shelby’s office. She’d arranged a hasty meeting after the news of the surprise wedding and the fight with Harris.
The only control she possessed in the world centered on this conference room. With her life blown apart and her marriage in tatters, she could barely function. She hadn’t said a word to Harris since last night. She spent breakfast listening to Nathan chatter and trying not to pull him into a fierce hug to keep Harris from taking him away.
A part of her wanted to give up. Apologize to Josh for being wrong and go back to the therapist and stay quiet. Be whatever they all wanted her to be. Do whatever others wanted her to do to prove that she was fine, as she unraveled even more. But this tiny part of her held on. Even if trauma did wash over everything, color it gray and dull the edges, she’d made a vow not to give up on Abby.
She’d write whatever check Shelby needed to get this done fast. If she was wrong and Josh had gotten wrapped up in an untidy string of complicated coincidences, fine. She’d beg for his forgiveness. But she had to know the truth. She’d risked so much—lost so much—and it all had to mean something.
Shelby walked in with a file tucked under her arm and two coffee mugs in her hands. “I hear you’re not doing so hot.”
“It’s that obvious, huh?”
“You look sad.” Shelby put a mug in front of Elisa. “Worse, you look defeated.”
Elisa sipped on the tea but couldn’t taste anything. “Amazing what you can see if you’re looking for it.”
“Uh-oh.” Shelby slowly slid into the seat across from Elisa. “What happened?”
“Josh and Rachel got married.”
Shelby frowned. “That’s a surprise.”
“A quickie wedding in Las Vegas.” Elisa wrapped her fingers around the mug, mostly because she needed something to do with her hands. “Harris and I weren’t invited.”
“Ah, marriage for them and marriage trouble for you.”
Elisa never imagined she’d use that description for her marriage. Sure, they’d experienced tough times and fought, but they emerged stronger. They were in sync. They wanted the same things. Had the same values. Now... they had anger.
“How did you guess?” Elisa asked.
“First, it’s my job. I see a lot of marriage stuff and most of it, unlike yours, is horrible. You’d be amazed by the sick things people do to each other.” Shelby put a notepad and pen down in front of her with all the other files sitting there. “Second, I’d bet marriage trouble is the one thing that could shake you.”
“Haven’t you heard? Everything shakes me.” The blip of anger broke through the grief. Elisa welcomed the heat.
“That’s not true, and anyone saying it isn’t paying attention.” Shelby picked up her pen and started tapping it against the notepad. “The strength that it takes to search for a friend when everyone insists she’s fine? That’s determination.”
The tapping sound actually soothed Elisa. Gave her something to mentally grab on to. “My husband takes it as a sign there’s something wrong with me.”
“There’s not.” Shelby nodded to someone on the other side of the glass before glancing at the stacks spread out on the table. “You were right. There’s no indication that Abby picked up her life anywhere. I quizzed an assistant I know in the police department until he got uncomfortable and rushed me off the phone.”
That sounded familiar to Elisa. “Been there.”
“Then a detective called me back this morning. Not Burroughs or anyone who had been affiliated with Josh or the case in the past.” Shelby looked at her notes. “Rogers. He’s new and runs a task force, looking into cold cases.”
Elisa tried not to get excited. “Is Abby’s case considered cold? I thought it was closed.”
“Rogers didn’t give away much.” Shelby shot Elisa a satisfied smile. “But after my call he said he did a little digging and didn’t like what he found.”
“Like what?”
“I’m not sure, but he mentioned Josh’s deceased wives and didn’t sound like he believed Josh’s stories about either.”
